Type-writing machine



(No Model.)

Z. G. SHOLBS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 7, 1896.'Y

NTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ZALMON G. SIIOLES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE REMINGTON-SIIOLES TYPEIVRITER COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,619, dated April'7, 1896.

Application filed May 29, 1893.

To all whom it may conoc-11,:

Be it known that I, ZALMON G. SHOLEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Type -IVriting Machines;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates particularly to typewriters in which thetype-bars each bear two types and are mounted upon a stationary support,while provision is made for shifting the platen back and forth at rightangles to its axis in order to bring it into such position as to allowiirst one and then the other of said types to come into Contact with theplaten, the platen standing normally at one limit of such transversemovement and being moved to the other limit by the operation of a key.

The object of the invention is to automatically lock the platen in thenormal position and have it remain so until released manuallywhen it isto be moved from the normal position. The construction herein shownembodies a carriage arranged to move on ways parallel to the platen, andthe platen-supporting frame supported by said carriage is adapted to bereciprocated upon said carriage in a direction at right 'angles to theaxis of the platen. The locking mechanism is so applied as to preventthe reciprocation of said platensupporting frame upon the carriage,excepting when it is desired to move the platen from its normalposition.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a Vertical section from thefront to the rear of the machine near the left-hand end. Fig. 2 is aplan of the machine.

A is the frame of the machine.

A is the top plate. This has at its center the usual opening A2, throughwhich the types are raised by the type-bars. As the construction andarrangement of these type-bars are well known, it is not deemednecessary to illustrate the same in this application.

A: is a rod supported upon the frame A,

Serial No. 475,921. (No model.)

parallel to the top plate and the front of the machine and at the rearof the opening A2.

B is the carriage. This is an elongated and substantially rectangularframe having its rear side hinged to and arranged to slide upon the rodA3 and extended forward over the opening A2 and having at its front awheel B on an axis, which is horizontal and at right angles to the rodA2. Said wheel rests upon the front portion of the top plate A and formsthe front support of said carriage.

C O C is the platen-frame. The parts C C of said frame rest loosely uponthe end pieces of the carriage B, so that said frame may slide back andforth upon said carriage at right angles to the front of the machine.

D is the platen. This is of the well-known form and is supported at itsends in bearings D' on the parts C@ E is a rock-shaft supportedhorizontally below the front of the top plate A. From said rock-shaftone or more rigid arms E rise through opening or openings ein the topplate. At the upper end a horizontal rod F is supported by the upper endof said arm or arms in a direction parallel to the front of the machineand parallel to the platen. From said shaft E a rigid arm E2 extendsrearward a short distance.

An ordinary linger-key G is hinged at G at the rear of the frame A andextends thence to the front of the machine. Any suitable form of springS may be applied to said key to keep .it normally in the elevatedposition. A link G2 is hinged by one end to the free end of the arm E2and by the other end to the key G, one of said hinges being a slidinghingethat is to say, a slot g in lieu of a circular opening is formed inone of the members, and a cylindrical pin g' is extended through saidslot. By this arrangement the key G will have to be depressed a shortdistance before engaging the link G2 and drawing the latter downward. ItWill be understood that by depressing the key G to a sufficient extentthe link G2 will draw the arm E2 and rotate the rock-shaft E and movethe arm or arms E and the shaft F rearward. An arm EB is supported byand extended forward of the shaft E, and a spring S is secured by oneend to said arm and by the other end to some stationary part of theframe A, as s. The action IOO of this spring is to normally hold theVrockshaft in such position as to place the arm or arms E and the rod Fat their forward limit. IVhen the key G is depressed to throw the rod Frearward, the resistance of the spring S', as well as the spring S, mustbe overcome. From the frame C C C an arm C2 extends forward over theshaft F and has at its front two depending lugs C3, which extend atopposite sides of the rod F and engage said rod7 so that when the latteris reciprocated the frame C C C is reciprocated upon the carriage B. Thedistance from the lugs C3 to the platen is such as to bring the platenover the forward printing-center when the rod F is in its forward ornormal position. Thus the forward position becomes the normal positionof the platen I3 and the platen-frame C C' C.

It will now be understood that there can be no rearward and-forwardmovement of the platen so long as the rod F is held immovably; butheretofore only the spring S' has been used to keep said rod at theforward position. As this spring is free to yield to the greater strainsapplied in the operation of the machine, it follows that the rod F isalso free to yield in a similar manner. Hence there is more or lessvibration in the rod F, the frame C C C', and the platen D. If there isa vibration of the platen, the position of the paper with reference tothe front of the machine and the forward printing-center must vary moreor less.

By means of my improvement the rod F is normally and positively lockedin the forward position.

I-I is a lug extending from the arm E horizontally and parallel to therod F and preferably below the top plate A. H is a lever pivoted betweenits ends at z. to the top plate and extending at one end to the rear ofand substantially in contact with the lug Il. From the rear of saidlever H a link H2 extends to the key G and is hinged to said key andsaid arm. Both of these hinges are nonsliding or without slack. Henceupon the depression of the keyG the link II2 is at once drawn downward,and the latter draws the rear end of the lever H downward and tilts saidlever upon its hinge, so that the front end is raised above and out ofengagement with the lug lfI. The relative dimensions of these parts andthe distance of the hinges from each other are such as to provide forthe freeing of the lever H and lug H from each other by that portion ofthe descent of the key G which precedes the engagement of the key G andthe link G2 through the parts intervening between said rod and key. Cnreleasing the key G the springs S and S will coperate in returning allthe parts to their normal positions until all said parts have been sofar shifted as to break the engagement between the key G and the rod F.At

this time the link G2, arms E2 and E', and the rod F, frame C C C', andthe platen D are already at their forward limit. `Thereafter the springS will continue to elevate the key G and link H2 and tilt the lever Il',so that the front end of the latter can descend into engagement with thelug II.

I claim as my inventionl. In a type-writing machine, the combinationwith the main frame of the machine, of a platen, a suitableplaten-support shiftable at right angles to the axis of said platen, aspring for holding said platen-support in its normal position, asuitable locking device to prevent the movement of the platen-supportagainst the stress of the spring, a platenshifting key, suitableshifting connections between the platen-support and the key, andtripping connections between the shiftingkey and the locking mechanismwhereby the shifting-key iirst releases the locking mechanism and thenshifts the platen in opposition to the stress of the platen-holdingspring, substantially as described.

In a type-writer, the combination with the frame of the machine, of acarriage supported upon ways parallel to the axis of the platen, aplaten-frame supported by said carriage and reciprocable upon the latterat right angles to said ways, spring mechanism for moving said frame toone limit of its path, automatic non-yielding mechanism for locking saidframe at suchV limit, and a key for iirst unlocking said lockingmechanism and then shifting said frame from such position, substantiallyas described.

3. In a type-writenthe combination with the frame of the machine, of aplaten, a platen-support shiftable at right angles to the axis of saidplaten, a rod, F, engaging said support, a rocking support for said rod,a spring for normally drawing said rod and platen-support to one limit,a lever, II', adapted to lock said rod, F, when the latter is at saidlimit, a key-lever, a link joining said keylever and said lever, II',and a sliding connection between said key-lever and the support of saidrod, F.

4. In a type-writer, the combination with the frame of the machine, of aplaten, a support for said platen shiftable at right angles to the axisof said platen, a spring for normally moving said support to one limit,a

rock-shaft, E, arms, E', and rod, F, engaging said platen-support,pivoted lever, H', adapted to engage the part supported by one of thearms, E,when said platen-support is at its normal position, a key-lever,G, a suitable connection between said key-lever and said lever, H', asliding connection between said key-lever and said rod, F, substantiallyas dcscribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 23d day of May, in the year 1893.

ZALMON G. SHOLES.

IVitnesses z CYRUs KEER, AnBRosE RIsDoN.

ICO

IIO

